Dissertation sur la glace, ou, explication physique de la formation de la glace, & de ses divers phénomènes

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This book is concerned with meteorological phenomena, could and heat, how ice forms, and sources of heat in the earth. Mairan tried to explain temperature variations and changes of state. His theory of heat was essentially kinetic, but he felt that a subtle matter necessary to account for the motions of the ultimate particles of ordinary matter and for the changes in these motions. On the basis of observations, experiments, and ingenious estimates, Mairan concluded that the earth has a 'central fire' which is an important source of its heat.